Ye Heng was old and fell ill badly one day. Visitors came to see him. Ye said,
“I am going to die. But I do not know how the things are in the netherworld?”
One visitor said,
“Things are just fine there.”
Ye inquiried,
“How do you know?”
That visitor replied,
“Apparently those who died never come back. “
Xiqian went to Caoxi in Guangdong province to learn from Zen master Huineng. When his master’s passed away, he went back home. On his way back, he met another disciple of master Huineng.
“Where do you come from?”
–”From Caoxi” Xiqian replied.
“What did you learn from Master Huineng?”
–”Nothing! In fact, I did not lack of anything before.” Xiqian answered.
“In such case, why did you go to Caoxi?”
–”How could I know if I lack of something or not without going there?”
Lord Lu retired from office and went back to his hometown to spend the rest of his life. All people in his village respected him. However, one day, some drunk abused him and even threatened him. Lord Lu’s servants were about to stop that man, but seeing the condition, he just pretended nothing happened and left silently.
A few years later, it was heard that the man committed crime and sentenced to death. Lord Lu was stricken with regret.
“I should had reported to the authority or tought him a lesson at that time, that might save him, but I did not.”
note:Separating Behavior From Intention:Making a distinction between a behavior and the positive intention driving it.
Zeng Shen went to another place far away from his hometown. A man in that place who had the same name as Zeng Shen committed a murder.
Some one came up to tell Zeng Shen’s monther, “Your son has killed a man.”
Zeng’s mother was sitting beside a shuttle and weaving, she replied calmly, “My son will never do such thing.”
Later, another one went to Zeng’s mother and told the same. The old lady still ignored and kept weaving.
A moment later, the third one in a row visited Zeng’s mother for the same issue.
This time Zeng’s mother began to doubt. She became frightened and threw down her shuttle, escaped secretly.
Note: In ancient China, when one commits crime, its relatives, especially the close relatives might be punished as well.
